Trailfinders end Gloucester Hartpury's 'four-peat' ambition with stunning Queensholm win

Trailfinders Women stunned Gloucester Hartpury to take a place in the Premiership Women’s Rugby final for the first time.

The West London club claimed just the second-ever away victory in a PWR semi-final to secure their spot at the Twickenham Stoop in a fortnight’s time. It is the second time that Barney Maddison’s team have beaten Gloucester Hartpury in two weeks and have ended the West Country club’s hopes of a fourth English league title in a row this season with the 29-26 victory.

This contest had a little bit of everything at a ravenous Queensholm Stadium. Gloucester Hartpury tried their best to overturn a 17-point half-time deficit as tries from Maya Monteil, Meg Jones Isla Norman-Bell and Emma Uren gave Trailfinders a 24-7 lead at the break.

After half-time Gloucester Hartpury had the wind in their sails as Maud Muir’s carries handed Dan Murphy’s team good field position. Both Rachel Lund and Georgia Brock went over the whitewash, before Norman-Bell’s second effort put the contest beyond any doubt. Even when Hannah Dallavalle’s score took the game to within three points. It was the margin that proved to be the difference at full-time.

Here are three talking points as Trailfinders Women secured a place in the PWR Final…

Confidence key for Trailfinders

As first PWR knockout matches go, Trailfinders Women’s may be one of the most memorable ever.

From almost the moment of kick-off it felt like Trailfinders had an extra spring in their step. Yes, Gloucester Hartpury scored first through Tatyana Heard, but the reaction from Barney Maddison’s Londoners was something else.

Canada playmaker Claire Gallagher was at the heart of Trailfinders’ good in the first half. After Canada prop Maya Monteil went over from close range, the North American sent a grubber kick through to England captain Meg Jones to dot down.

Some 14 minutes later and Gallagher was at it again as she chased her own kick forward, collected the ball and passed to Isla Norman-Bell who ran under the sticks unopposed.

On the stroke of half-time Jones collected a cross-field kick from Gallagher and passed to Emma Uren, who weaved her way across the try line. A 17-point lead at half-time is by no means insurmountable. But the way Trailfinders went about things in Gloucester, it proved that they meant business.

That confidence, understandably, take a knock when the hosts rallied to send Rachel Lund and Georgia Brock over the whitewash.

Even so, there was an innate belief in how the Londoners did things, even when you then consider Hannah Dallavalle’s instant reply to Norman-Bell’s second score of the game.

In some ways this attitude was similar to the 41-39 win they registered against the Circus a fortnight ago. It was innate. It is little wonder that Barney Maddison was named PWR’s Director of Rugby of the Season earlier in the week.

At full-time some players fell to their knees. Others looked into the Sunday afternoon sky as they booked a place in the PWR final for the first time. Some just had cramp. They have one more game to come this season in a fortnight’s time at the Twickenham Stoop.

Meg Jones is the world’s best right now

Elephant in the room, Claire Gallagher received Player of the Match for her efforts in the West Country. But, Meg Jones is currently on a different planet.

When the England captain was jeered for knocking on the ball by the Shed, the 29-year-old laughed. Instead of being made uneasy by one of rugby’s most infamous stands, she fed on its energy.

Over the past year or so we have become accustomed to Jones rising to the big occasion. She had a boundless energy that surpasses any notion of fatigue. At Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, she was the Red Roses driving force to victory at Allianz Stadium. At the 2026 Guinness Women’s Six Nations, newly installed as skipper, the centre was at the heart of everything that England did good on their way to a fifth Grand Slam in a row.

On Sunday afternoon Jones often took things upon herself. But that influence went further than collecting Claire Gallagher’s grubber kick to dot down or providing the assist for Emma Uren. Ahead of Isla Norman-Bell’s second try Jones’ arcing run sent Carys Cox off to the races. As the contest wore on she kicked the ball to touch.

It was a constant display of work-class skill. England, and women’s rugby for that matter, are blessed to have a player in this sort of form. Generational.

Basics worked best for Gloucester Hartpury

At half-time the scoreboard made for pretty grim reading if you were of a Gloucester Hartpury persuasion. They went into the break off the back of an Emma Uren try, which only came because Sian Jones opted to keep the ball alive instead of into touch.

When the second half got underway the hosts came out like a bull with a red rag dangling in front of it. In the opening half their scrum dominance had came to nothing, but soon enough made its presence known. That, along with some seriously scary carries from Maud Muir.

This focus on the set-piece helped not only helped Rachel Lund land the first try of the second half, just four minutes later Georgia Brock buried over the try line and Hannah Dallavalle’s effort to brought the score within three.

Gloucester Hartpury’s biggest crime was how they dealt with being player down. Across 20 minutes, when Trailfinders had Carys Cox and Alivia Leatherman off the pitch with yellow cards, they conceded 17 points. And that’s before you consider the nine points that went begging as kicks from Trailfinders’ Niamh Gallagher and Rosie Inman missed their mark.

In essence much of Gloucester Hartpury’s issue was the same as the past two weekends. There was not that added layer of confidence that the likes of Zoe Stratford, Natasha Hunt and Alex Matthews provide.

Dynasty’s do have to end at some point. Gloucester Hartpury will always the memory of their English top flight three-peat, but now it has ended and we will see a very different Circus in 2026/27.